Bac Lieu Restaurant
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this place is so solid. i live in the mission and having vietnamese food near me that's this good is incredible. it's right on the 14 and 49 bus line on mission and the food here is phenomenal for the price. i got the pho and the shrimp spring rolls and the service is really good. they're very fast. it's just very solid and well done vietnamese food. for the pho i like how they automatically come with a plate of the bean sprouts, the jalapenos, and the lime. the pho broth is really good. i personally don't need to use hoisin sauce or sriracha for the pho that they have here. i feel like over here they also have a good amount of meats and toppings to where i don't feel like they're trying to be skimpy on it. you're gonna eat this bowl of pho and feel full and like you had a good value. same for the shrimp spring rolls. the shrimp spring rolls made me very full. it's a lot. i would probably try to split that with two people but i came back after a long tennis session so i was able to eat both all of the shrimp spring rolls as well as the pho. in terms of ambience it's a great restaurant. there's always a lot of people inside. it's a pretty quiet restaurant. but it's not too busy ever to where you have to wait. it's just a place where you go in, you eat, you get what you want, and it's just a lovely place. staff is very nice as well. in fact i came around 20 minutes before closing. they told me to just take my time, like don't rush and eat and yeah it was really lovely.
I should have trusted my gut. First red flag: I walked into a Vietnamese restaurant that was a little under half full and somehow still managed to be almost entirely white diners. Not another Asian person in sight. As someone whose family is from Saigon and who grew up eating Vietnamese food, I immediately wondered who exactly all those glowing online reviews were written for. I decided not to judge a book by its cover. The food then proceeded to judge itself. The beef carpaccio was cut and shredded absurdly thick. What should have been delicate and refined had all the finesse of somebody hacking away at meat and deciding presentation was optional. The bánh khọt were thick, doughy, and barely crisp. Yes, regional variations exist. No, "regional variation" is not a diplomatic immunity card for bad texture. If I wanted a mouthful of dough, I would have ordered one. The bánh hỏi was overcooked enough to lose the delicate texture that makes bánh hỏi worth eating in the first place. Some pieces also had a faint, bizarre soapy taste. And for what amounted to overcooked noodles accompanying pieces of nem nướng, the price was borderline comedy. Speaking of the nem nướng: why did it look like Spam? Perfect little rectangular slabs. Uniform edges. Dense, processed-looking texture. It arrived looking less like grilled nem nướng and more like somebody had opened a can of luncheon meat, sliced it into rectangles, and given it a Vietnamese garnish. The pan-fried noodles were so aggressively salty that subtlety apparently never made it into the kitchen that night. Several dishes also had a stale, tired taste, like components had been hanging around waiting for somebody unfortunate enough to order them. The garlic noodles somehow became one of the highlights simply by being edible. Unfortunately, they tasted like mediocre mac and cheese wearing garlic noodles as a Halloween costume. And then came the bún bò Huế. I took two bites. There was a mosquito floating in my soup. A mosquito. In my bún bò Huế. At that point, dinner was over. You can debate regional styles. You can argue about whether bánh khọt should be more or less crisp. You can disagree about salt levels. You can tell me nem nướng is supposed to look however you want. There is no regional variation of Vietnamese cuisine where the garnish is mosquito. What makes this whole experience even more baffling is that the front-of-house staff were Vietnamese, so I genuinely cannot understand how the kitchen was sending out food like this. And yes, after eating here, I am absolutely side-eyeing those overwhelmingly positive ratings. Walking into a Vietnamese restaurant where a half-empty dining room is still almost entirely white already had me wondering who the target audience was. After doughy bánh khọt, overcooked and vaguely soapy bánh hỏi, Spam-looking nem nướng, stale-tasting food, salt-bomb noodles, mac-and-cheese garlic noodles, and an actual mosquito taking a swim in my bún bò Huế, I think I got my answer. Maybe this restaurant knows exactly who its audience is. It sure as hell isn't me. The Bay Area has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Vietnamese food. There is absolutely no reason to spend your money here pretending this is one of them. One of the most baffling Vietnamese meals I've had in a long time. Never again.
4 of us arrived here on a Tuesday for lunch. This place was pretty empty with maybe 2 other tables taken throughout our meal and a few door dash/uber eats pick ups. It's a no frills Vietnamese spot with an unusually high rating. *** OUR PICKS *** B6 ~ COLD NOODLES BBQ BEEF WITH EGG ROLLS ~ Good bouncy noodles but the bbq beef was thin like jerky. Honestly, it wasn't anything to write home about. It was about average. They only give 1 egg roll cut in half. ($19.99) 3.5/5 P20 ~ PHO BAC LIEU SPECIAL ~ my partner had this and said it was average for broth flavor and size. The only thing special was the poached egg swimming in the soup. Otherwise, it was okay, but way overpriced. ($21.99). 3/5 D6 ~ BBQ BEEF AND RICE ~ my friend had this dish. She didn't care for the bbq beef. There wasn't much on the plate, just a small salad, some thin cuts of beef, and a bowl of rice. ($19.99) 3/5 P19 ~ DRY BEEF PHO ~ this dish was eaten within 10 minutes! Not much to it! While we were still eating, our friend was waiting for us to finish. That showed how tiny this meal was and he's not a fast eater. ($19.99) 3/5 Overall, I found the portions pretty skimpy and disappointing for the high price on every dish. I'm all for paying more when the quality and quantity justify the price, but unfortunately, I don't think they did here. Maybe people who live or work in this area are used to paying $20+ for a bowl of pho, and they're willing to pay the higher prices. But in the TL and Sunset District, where there are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants with reasonable prices and better portions, I don't think this place would get much attention there. They can thank the people who live or work in the area who are keeping them afloat. But for us, it's a one time deal as we don't plan on returning.
They snuck me in 20 min before closing and provided great service with incredibly good food.
Loved the spring rolls with pork, the egg crepe and the pho broth! D1 was okay, had a lot of variety
love it here, best food and best garlic noodles. Everything comes out so fast and is delicious
Sat quickly on a Thursday night. Ordered: Special Combo Rice Platter (4/5) I like dishes with variety. This rice platter is served with grilled pork, shrimp paste in tofu skin, chicken skewer, fried egg, and shredded pork. Everything was cooked perfectly and flavorful. The fried egg was fried over easy. The meats were all tender and flavorful. My favorite was the tofu skin stuffed with shrimp paste. Crispy and soft. Only thing missing is the Nước chấm dipping sauce. Vermicelli with Five Spiced Chicken with Egg Roll (5/5) The chicken was tender and crispy. The egg roll was crispy and flavorful. All the vegetables were fresh. The dish tasted light but I was full from the generous serving. Service was quick and friendly. The interior was modern, clean and comfortable. Only difficult part was street parking.
Came here for a quick lunch. The food looks quite authentic and they have a lot of different options. Garlic noodle with five spice chicken: B The five spice chicken tastes great, well seasoned and tender. Portion is on the light side. The noodles were just okay, could use more garlic flavor. And the broccoli on the plate is just boiled and bland so nothing exciting.
I recently visited Bac Lieu and tried the Imperial Rolls (A1) and the Woven Rice Noodle Sheet with Pork (C4). The Imperial Rolls were crispy with a good, porky flavor. Wrapping them in the fresh mint and lettuce added a nice brightness and made for an authentic experience. The Woven Rice Noodle Sheet with Pork is a huge platter that comes with four skewers, lots of rice noodles, and an assortment of vegetables. It is very flavorful, though I would recommend adding a bit more sauce, like peanut sauce or something spicy, to really elevate the flavors. The portion sizes were reasonable for the price. There was no wait time when I arrived, and parking was easy to find. The background music was a nice touch, and the staff provided friendly and attentive service. I also appreciated that they proactively asked about dietary restrictions, such as peanut allergies. Overall, this place is a great experience and I would highly recommend it!
Claude told me this had the best banh xeo in the city. The crepe was perfectly crispy and contained bean sprouts and shrimp. The crepe was huge and was definitely enough food for my boyfriend and me. The food also came out super quickly!
I'm surprised I haven't written a review yet- this is my go to Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco! In addition to pho and rice plates, they have many other Vietnamese dishes. My favorite appetizers are banh xeo (sizzle crepe pancake with shrimp and fresh herbs) or banh koht - Vietnamese mini pancakes. They even have bun rieu (crab noodle soup) and bun bo hue (spicy beef noodle soup), a dry pho! For dessert har to have the che!! 3 color drink and shaved ice (almost like a Filipino halo halo dessert). For dine in, there's a lot of seating. Food comes out fairly quick too. Instead of driving to San Jose, just come here for lunch, dinner or party trays!
15 days ago
Exactly what I needed on a cold day after a long day of work! The customer service was also very nice!:) read more
1 month ago
The ambiance is really nice and relaxing here. A good place to catch a dinner with a loved one. The service is great, great customer service. And let me tell you, the food is amazing! I'll be so honest they have the best five spice chicken I've ever had. :) read more
Walked into Bac Lieu on a Tuesday evening and got seated right away. It was a relaxed spot for a weeknight dinner, service was smooth and the food came out really fast. The menu is extensive, so I did what any Yelp person would do: scrolled through every single photo even though I was sold from the first pic I saw. I went with M1, the garlic noodles with five spiced chicken. Can't go wrong. The noodles were so tasty and hearty, exactly the kind of meal that hits the spot. The nonalcoholic drinks deserve a look too. I'll no doubt be ordering those garlic noodles for pickup again. read more
this place is so solid. i live in the mission and having vietnamese food near me that's this good is incredible. it's right on the 14 and 49 bus line on mission and the food here is phenomenal for the price. i got the pho and the shrimp spring rolls and the service is really good. they're very fast. it's just very solid and well done vietnamese food. for the pho i like how they automatically come with a plate of the bean sprouts, the jalapenos, and the lime. the pho broth is really good. i personally don't need to use hoisin sauce or sriracha for the pho that they have here. i feel like over here they also have a good amount of meats and toppings to where i don't feel like they're trying to be skimpy on it. you're gonna eat this bowl of pho and feel full and like you had a good value. same for the shrimp spring rolls. the shrimp spring rolls made me very full. it's a lot. i would probably try to split that with two people but i came back after a long tennis session so i was able to eat both all of the shrimp spring rolls as well as the pho. in terms of ambience it's a great restaurant. there's always a lot of people inside. it's a pretty quiet restaurant. but it's not too busy ever to where you have to wait. it's just a place where you go in, you eat, you get what you want, and it's just a lovely place. staff is very nice as well. in fact i came around 20 minutes before closing. they told me to just take my time, like don't rush and eat and yeah it was really lovely. read more
2 months ago
I should have trusted my gut. First red flag: I walked into a Vietnamese restaurant that was a little under half full and somehow still managed to be almost entirely white diners. Not another Asian person in sight. As someone whose family is from Saigon and who grew up eating Vietnamese food, I immediately wondered who exactly all those glowing online reviews were written for. I decided not to judge a book by its cover. The food then proceeded to judge itself. The beef carpaccio was cut and shredded absurdly thick. What should have been delicate and refined had all the finesse of somebody hacking away at meat and deciding presentation was optional. The bánh khọt were thick, doughy, and barely crisp. Yes, regional variations exist. No, "regional variation" is not a diplomatic immunity card for bad texture. If I wanted a mouthful of dough, I would have ordered one. The bánh hỏi was overcooked enough to lose the delicate texture that makes bánh hỏi worth eating in the first place. Some pieces also had a faint, bizarre soapy taste. And for what amounted to overcooked noodles accompanying pieces of nem nướng, the price was borderline comedy. Speaking of the nem nướng: why did it look like Spam? Perfect little rectangular slabs. Uniform edges. Dense, processed-looking texture. It arrived looking less like grilled nem nướng and more like somebody had opened a can of luncheon meat, sliced it into rectangles, and given it a Vietnamese garnish. The pan-fried noodles were so aggressively salty that subtlety apparently never made it into the kitchen that night. Several dishes also had a stale, tired taste, like components had been hanging around waiting for somebody unfortunate enough to order them. The garlic noodles somehow became one of the highlights simply by being edible. Unfortunately, they tasted like mediocre mac and cheese wearing garlic noodles as a Halloween costume. And then came the bún bò Huế. I took two bites. There was a mosquito floating in my soup. A mosquito. In my bún bò Huế. At that point, dinner was over. You can debate regional styles. You can argue about whether bánh khọt should be more or less crisp. You can disagree about salt levels. You can tell me nem nướng is supposed to look however you want. There is no regional variation of Vietnamese cuisine where the garnish is mosquito. What makes this whole experience even more baffling is that the front-of-house staff were Vietnamese, so I genuinely cannot understand how the kitchen was sending out food like this. And yes, after eating here, I am absolutely side-eyeing those overwhelmingly positive ratings. Walking into a Vietnamese restaurant where a half-empty dining room is still almost entirely white already had me wondering who the target audience was. After doughy bánh khọt, overcooked and vaguely soapy bánh hỏi, Spam-looking nem nướng, stale-tasting food, salt-bomb noodles, mac-and-cheese garlic noodles, and an actual mosquito taking a swim in my bún bò Huế, I think I got my answer. Maybe this restaurant knows exactly who its audience is. It sure as hell isn't me. The Bay Area has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Vietnamese food. There is absolutely no reason to spend your money here pretending this is one of them. One of the most baffling Vietnamese meals I've had in a long time. Never again. read more
4 of us arrived here on a Tuesday for lunch. This place was pretty empty with maybe 2 other tables taken throughout our meal and a few door dash/uber eats pick ups. It's a no frills Vietnamese spot with an unusually high rating. *** OUR PICKS *** B6 ~ COLD NOODLES BBQ BEEF WITH EGG ROLLS ~ Good bouncy noodles but the bbq beef was thin like jerky. Honestly, it wasn't anything to write home about. It was about average. They only give 1 egg roll cut in half. ($19.99) 3.5/5 P20 ~ PHO BAC LIEU SPECIAL ~ my partner had this and said it was average for broth flavor and size. The only thing special was the poached egg swimming in the soup. Otherwise, it was okay, but way overpriced. ($21.99). 3/5 D6 ~ BBQ BEEF AND RICE ~ my friend had this dish. She didn't care for the bbq beef. There wasn't much on the plate, just a small salad, some thin cuts of beef, and a bowl of rice. ($19.99) 3/5 P19 ~ DRY BEEF PHO ~ this dish was eaten within 10 minutes! Not much to it! While we were still eating, our friend was waiting for us to finish. That showed how tiny this meal was and he's not a fast eater. ($19.99) 3/5 Overall, I found the portions pretty skimpy and disappointing for the high price on every dish. I'm all for paying more when the quality and quantity justify the price, but unfortunately, I don't think they did here. Maybe people who live or work in this area are used to paying $20+ for a bowl of pho, and they're willing to pay the higher prices. But in the TL and Sunset District, where there are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants with reasonable prices and better portions, I don't think this place would get much attention there. They can thank the people who live or work in the area who are keeping them afloat. But for us, it's a one time deal as we don't plan on returning. read more
3 days ago
They snuck me in 20 min before closing and provided great service with incredibly good food. read more
8 hours ago
2 days ago
Very cozy place in the mission. The food is authentic and it tastes very good. The service is good. read more
16 days ago
love it here, best food and best garlic noodles. Everything comes out so fast and is delicious read more
6 months ago
Sat quickly on a Thursday night. Ordered: Special Combo Rice Platter (4/5) I like dishes with variety. This rice platter is served with grilled pork, shrimp paste in tofu skin, chicken skewer, fried egg, and shredded pork. Everything was cooked perfectly and flavorful. The fried egg was fried over easy. The meats were all tender and flavorful. My favorite was the tofu skin stuffed with shrimp paste. Crispy and soft. Only thing missing is the Nước chấm dipping sauce. Vermicelli with Five Spiced Chicken with Egg Roll (5/5) The chicken was tender and crispy. The egg roll was crispy and flavorful. All the vegetables were fresh. The dish tasted light but I was full from the generous serving. Service was quick and friendly. The interior was modern, clean and comfortable. Only difficult part was street parking. read more
Came here for a quick lunch. The food looks quite authentic and they have a lot of different options. Garlic noodle with five spice chicken: B The five spice chicken tastes great, well seasoned and tender. Portion is on the light side. The noodles were just okay, could use more garlic flavor. And the broccoli on the plate is just boiled and bland so nothing exciting. read more
4 days ago
very tasty! Great company and atmosphere. I got the yummy noodles. I liked the broccoli also read more
3 months ago
I recently visited Bac Lieu and tried the Imperial Rolls (A1) and the Woven Rice Noodle Sheet with Pork (C4). The Imperial Rolls were crispy with a good, porky flavor. Wrapping them in the fresh mint and lettuce added a nice brightness and made for an authentic experience. The Woven Rice Noodle Sheet with Pork is a huge platter that comes with four skewers, lots of rice noodles, and an assortment of vegetables. It is very flavorful, though I would recommend adding a bit more sauce, like peanut sauce or something spicy, to really elevate the flavors. The portion sizes were reasonable for the price. There was no wait time when I arrived, and parking was easy to find. The background music was a nice touch, and the staff provided friendly and attentive service. I also appreciated that they proactively asked about dietary restrictions, such as peanut allergies. Overall, this place is a great experience and I would highly recommend it! read more
1 month ago
Claude told me this had the best banh xeo in the city. The crepe was perfectly crispy and contained bean sprouts and shrimp. The crepe was huge and was definitely enough food for my boyfriend and me. The food also came out super quickly! read more
8 months ago
I'm surprised I haven't written a review yet- this is my go to Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco! In addition to pho and rice plates, they have many other Vietnamese dishes. My favorite appetizers are banh xeo (sizzle crepe pancake with shrimp and fresh herbs) or banh koht - Vietnamese mini pancakes. They even have bun rieu (crab noodle soup) and bun bo hue (spicy beef noodle soup), a dry pho! For dessert har to have the che!! 3 color drink and shaved ice (almost like a Filipino halo halo dessert). For dine in, there's a lot of seating. Food comes out fairly quick too. Instead of driving to San Jose, just come here for lunch, dinner or party trays! read more
1 month ago
Ordered a Vermicelli with Grilled Pork, and it was very delicious. The food came out promptly after our order. Spring rolls were very crisp, and the noodles were very fresh. Even though it was a Saturday night, we were still able to get seated very quickly. Will definitely come back! read more
4 months ago
Staff are friendly, food are good, clean restaurant I highly recommend this place because the price is reasonable read more
8 days ago
I had a beautiful time too and good service. Went on a Friday night- the service was super fast read more
2 months ago
Dishes are really solid here! I got the garlic noodles with five spice chicken and the chicken is tender, the noodles are also not too garlicky which I prefer. Definitely recommend to support this Pho business! read more
Needed to drive to the City so figured we try something new along the way. Bac Lieu was still open so we took that option. We parked on the street and walked in a rather hole-in-the-wall location. We ordered the pho and the garlic noodles with five-spice chicken. The pho was super solid though on the smaller side. I thought the garlic noodle with five-spice chicken was excellent. Solid 4.4 - not too greasy, good quality meat, a great choice for those wanting a non-soup option. I would definitely consider coming back, though I alsoI wanted to try the other pho options nearby - the garlic noodles here might be what brings me back :) read more
This place serves up some excellent good Viet food in a casual, unassuming atmosphere. We stopped by for lunch on Christmas and ordered a platter of banh hoi with nem nuong and a side of banh knot. While both dishes were delicious, the banh knot were exceptional, and I couldn't stop eating them. While dining in, another solo visitor entered and told the wait staff he'd moved out of the area to NY but always came back to visit because he couldn't get the same quality of food there, which attests to how good and authentic the food is here. read more
10 days ago
Bac Lieu is one of my fav Vietnamese restaurants in the city. The imperial rolls are impeccable textured balance. The papaya salad is well proportioned, not very spicy. The five spice chicken pho is delightful and their main dish, the beef stew, is not to be missed, perfect little fat pearls and tender meat. Chill atmosphere, great service. read more
13 days ago
Came in right at open and ordered the nem spring rolls (not pictured), beef pho, and beef vermicelli. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious food. A lovely way to spend a Sunday night! read more
Great hole in the wall pho on mission close to Bernal Heights. I ordered the P6, which is Pho with tripe & beef, just hits the spot on a cold night. Thai iced tea was sweet and delicious. Quick and friendly service! I'll be stoping by next time I am in the area read more
22 days ago
Yummy and good vegan options! The Banh xeo is only vegetarian but everything vegan is marked on the menu. They have Che too read more
2 months ago
Amazing! I did eat for three days and I broke now. Staff here let in dine in I feel very comfortable. This restaurant help my life today read more
2 months ago
Really good pho, great service, homey vibes. I'm vegetarian as well and they have great veggie options read more
8 months ago
Came in around 230 and they were gracious enough to seat me! Food came out quick. Their spring rolls (came with 6 pieces) were super fresh and the sauce it comes with is perfect - nice crunch from chopped peanuts and umami from the fish sauce. The bun rieu was piping hot - I'm usually a stickler with pho because it's never as hot as I love to eat my soup, but this was def to my liking. The flavor was on point, tofu and crab meatballs were delicious. Will definitely come back with my family! read more
4 months ago
Coffee is authentic! Huge menu with a lot of dessert options that are hard to find in the city read more
4 months ago
Speedy service though it wasn't crowded. She kept checking on us. Food looks fresh. And egg roll came out fast. And the fake bamboo plate is a nice touch. Bathroom is clean too! Ordered beef carpaccio as appetizer. read more
4 months ago
The service is pretty fast and the food is good as well. First time being here visiting my little sister and her fiancé. They said it's their favorite Vietnamese restaurant. read more
2 months ago
Excellent food, great and quick service. Cute spot on mission and very delicious food! Would highly recommend read more
3 months ago
Amazing food and service! There are also many options to choose from! The shrimp paste is interesting. The quail is very tasty. Definitely authentic Thai food. The service is also really good. The staff is very friendly, and the food came our really quick. read more
4 months ago
Best pho !!!!! The fire cracker shrimp are amazing !!! Staff is super friendly and cheer full !! I highly recommend this place to everyone one !!!! read more
5 months ago
Food was great. Service was awesome! Beef noodle soup - comes with bean sprouts, jalapeño & basil. Rice plate had steamed pork patty with egg. So good. read more
2 months ago
Food was fresh and so much flavor. Really enjoyed my time here with my family. Would definitely come back. read more
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More info about Bac Lieu Restaurant
3216 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Bernal Heights, Mission
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(415) 282-9088
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https://baclieusf.com
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Ask the Community - Bac Lieu Restaurant
What kind of vegetables are in the vegetarian spring rolls?
Does anyone know what the sauce is that comes with the Vegetarian Spring Rolls? It was delicious!
House vegan sauce
Will you add a delivery service?
Hello, we just started Grubhub for delivery service. It’s available to accept orders 2pm - 5pm on weekdays. Thank you for your inquiry.
Is this a small restaurant? How many can the restaurant seat?
The restaurant layout is more of a rectangular shape. It is definitely not tiny so I would say they are more in the medium size. They have tables against both walls, along the center, and a few out front. The capacity is easily more than 50, but…
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